Ocean toxins bad for humans

And ocean toxins are bad for humans?? I’m not sure I see how 70% of the surface of the planet is important.

A report released Thursday noted high levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and titanium in tissue samples taken by dart gun from nearly 1,000 whales over five years. From polar areas to equatorial waters, the whales ingested pollutants that may have been produced by humans thousands of miles away, the researchers said.

So…wait a minute. Americans are studying the whales for years – without killing them and selling the meat? But the Japanese said that wasn’t possible. If Japan is doing so much “Reasearch” on the whales, why didn’t they already publish this? (Stay on ’em Sea Sheperds!).

Roger Payne, founder and president of Ocean Alliance on the research project:

Ultimately, he said, the contaminants could jeopardize seafood, a primary source of animal protein for 1 billion people.

“You could make a fairly tight argument to say that it is the single greatest health threat that has ever faced the human species. I suspect this will shorten lives, if it turns out that this is what’s going on,” he said.